Department for Transport

Bus Services

Lord Rosser: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many regional devolution settlements that are (1) agreed already, and (2) currently being negotiated, include the devolution of transport powers; and what impact those settlements will have on local bus services.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: (1) The Government has agreed devolution settlements with 10 English areas. Each of the settlements contained provisions for the devolution of transport powers and responsibilities, from bus franchising to the establishment and management of key route networks, based on the ambitions and needs of each individual area.(2) The Government is in active discussions with many other areas, however, proposals are developed and led by local areas and the decision to release information regarding the content of these discussions is a matter for the local area to decide, not the Government. As individual negotiations conclude and devolution deals are agreed, local areas may decide to publish the final deal documents on the GOV.UK website. The Bus Services Bill will enable the implementation of the commitments made in devolution settlements to provide authorities with a greater say over the bus services in their area. It will be up to authorities to determine whether and how they implement changes to the way in which local bus services are provided.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Lord Berkeley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans HS2 has for using secondary aggregates for the construction of Phase 1.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: As part of our overall sustainability policy for HS2, we plan to use both secondary and re-cycled aggregates in structures which are designed with concrete. Their use, along with the types of concrete to be used, will be dependent on the specific design characteristics of individual HS2 structures and will be subject to the detailed design process in due course. The design process will also take into account other important sustainable factors such as material availability and logistics.

Motor Vehicles: Exhaust Emissions

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of emission tests undertaken by car manufacturers in the UK.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: As part of the exhaust emissions approval process vehicle manufacturers are obliged to undertake in-use emissions testing. They are required to submit a report of their results at regular intervals or when requested to do so by the approval authority. In accordance with EU regulation 715/2007, the authority will review the information and accept or reject the report. The UK type approval authority is the Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA) and they ensure manufacturers follow this process where they are the issuing approval authority.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

China: Christianity

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of China about (1) reports of a pastor’s wife who was buried alive during the demolition of a church in Henan Province; (2) the demolition of churches, and the imprisonment and detention of religious leaders; and (3) the disappearance of several Catholic priests in Hebei Province.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We pay close attention to the human rights situation in China. We were concerned by reports that Ding Cuimei was buried alive on 14 April while protesting at the demolition of a church in Henan Province. We intend to raise Ding’s case at the next round of the annual UK-China Human Rights Dialogue.We are aware of reports of the closure or demolition of churches and that individuals are being harassed or detained for their beliefs. We are aware, too, of reports of the recent disappearance of a number of Catholic priests in Hebei Province, such as Father Yang Jianwei. We are concerned by all instances where the whereabouts of detainees remains undisclosed, and where detainees are held without access to legal counsel or visits from relatives.We continue to raise the full range of our concerns about freedom of religion and the restrictions placed on Christianity with the Chinese authorities. We also place on record our concerns in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s Annual Report on Human Rights and Democracy, published on 21 April, and in updates to it.

Falkland Islands: Argentina

Lord Empey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the implications for the Falkland Islands of the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf finding that they are in Argentinian territorial waters.

Lord Empey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to appeal against the decision of the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf that the Falkland Islands are in Argentinian territorial waters.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: I refer the noble Lord to the answer given by the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Rt Hon. Friend the member for East Devon (Mr Swire), on 13 April 2016 (PQ 33811)."The UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS) has no jurisdiction to consider areas subject to competing claims and therefore has no locus to make recommendations in relation to the Falkland Islands. The UN itself has acknowledged that the CLCS could not consider those parts of the original Argentine submission of 2009 that were subject to dispute. This would include the Falkland Islands."Furthermore, the UK has no doubt about its sovereignty over the Falklands and surrounding maritime areas, nor about the Falkland Islanders’ right to decide their own future. We will continue to make that clear to Argentina and other countries in the region.

Falkland Islands: Argentina

Lord Empey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with the Falkland Islands Government regarding the future of its territorial waters.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: As a self-governing Overseas Territory of the UK, it is up to the Falkland Islanders to determine their own future. The UK is in no doubt about its sovereignty over the Falkland Islands and surrounding maritime areas, or about the principle and the right of the Falkland Islanders to self determination. We have discussed with the Falkland Islands government the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS)’s remit, and the fact that the UN itself has noted that the CLCS cannot consider claims relating to disputed areas. In this case that would include the Falkland Islands. Furthermore, the CLCS has no jurisdiction over the sovereignty of any land territory, including the Falkland Islands.

Falkland Islands: Argentina

Lord Empey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf in the South Atlantic.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We have obtained written clarification from the UN Legal Counsel as to the remit and mandate of the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS). This confirms that the CLCS has no jurisdiction over the sovereignty of any land territory. That would of course include the Falkland Islands. The UN itself has noted that the CLCS cannot consider claims relating to disputed areas. In this case that would include the Falkland Islands. The British Government remains in no doubt over its sovereignty over the Falkland Islands, and has no doubt about the right of the Islanders to determine their own future.

Islamic State

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they will take to ensure that they fulfil the pledge in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s Human Rights and Democracy Report 2015 to "continue to look at every available option to ensure accountability" for the crimes committed by Daesh.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We continue to look at every option to ensure accountability. In the meantime we are supporting the gathering and preservation of evidence that could in future be used in a court to hold Daesh to account.The UK co-sponsored the UN Human Rights Council resolution of September 2014 mandating investigation of Daesh abuses in Iraq. Working with international partners, we are doing everything we can to assist in the gathering and preservation of evidence that could in future be used by judicial bodies to make a judgement on this matter. It is vital that this is done now, before evidence is lost or destroyed.

Middle East: Responsibility to Protect

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will apply the principles of the Responsibility to Protect to the situation in Iraq and Syria.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The Responsibility to Protect (R2P) imposes an obligation on all states to protect their populations, and for the international community to assist. The Asad regime has consistently ignored this obligation, using extreme violence against its own people and preventing access to humanitarian aid. The British Government is also appalled at the brutality of Daesh abuses against all communities. In line with R2P, we continue to call on all sides to the conflict to respect International Humanitarian Law and we are working with the international community to find ways of providing justice to those who have suffered. Ultimately, the only way of safeguarding people is by defeating Daesh and establishing a lasting peace in both Syria and Iraq.The UK is working through the International Syria Support Group to support and facilitate UN brokered intra-Syrian negotiations to end the conflict through political transition to a government that represents and protects its people, and are a leading member of the Global Coalition against Daesh. Our counter-Daesh strategy is working. Daesh have lost about 40 per cent of the territory it once held in Iraq - and significant territory in Syria. Thousands of people have been freed from Daesh’s abusive rule and have been able to return safely to their homes.

Middle East: Water

Baroness Deech: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of the Middle East water research programme as a vehicle for collaboration between researchers in the UK, Israel and the Middle East.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The Science and Innovation network and the British Council in Israel manage the Trilateral Water Research programme, which was launched in 2015. The effectiveness of the programme as a platform for cross border research can be measured by the fact that five research projects have been launched involving leading researchers in the water research field from Israel, the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Gaza, Morocco, Jordan and the UK. The projects look at varied aspects of water management in the region and seek to provide innovative solutions while cementing links between academic institutions and facilitating cutting-edge research. The programme is subject to monitoring and evaluation procedures in two stages. The first is the selection process for acceptance into the programme and receipt of a research grant. This process is a robust academic selection mechanism involving scientific peer review and is managed centrally by the British Council’s London Institutional Links team in accordance with the procedures that govern the wider Global Institutional Links programme. The second stage of monitoring and evaluation will be during project implementation. Projects will be monitored via narrative and financial reporting, in addition to reporting on Researchfish, the British Council’s chosen research evaluation platform. Projects were contracted and finance awarded in April 2016 so reports are not yet available.

Israel: Stem Cells

Baroness Deech: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of the stem cell research collaboration between British and Israeli scientists under the auspices of the Britain Israel Research and Academic Exchange Partnership.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The effectiveness of the Britain Israel Research and Academic Exchange Partnership (BIRAX) comes firstly from its robust selection process. All projects are assessed during the selection process for their quality of science and contribution to the scientific community by a selection panel of leading researchers in their field from the UK and Israel, and also by an anonymous peer review process, that includes leading researchers around the world. During their implementation, projects are monitored via yearly narrative and financial reporting, in addition to reporting on Researchfish. The British Council is planning a comprehensive evaluation exercise this year, which is the programme’s 5th year.In addition, the programme is being co-funded by leading health research organisations such as British Heart Foundation, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Multiple Sclerosis Society and Parkinson's UK, who evaluate the projects before making their funding commitment and ensure their scientific excellence.While the projects are too recent to be assessed for their impact on the Regenerative Medicine scientific field, so far a number of publications have emanated from the programme, including a ground-breaking article in Cell by Professor Yaqub Hanna in collaboration with Professor Azim Surani from The University of Cambridge. The article was assessed by the journal to be their number one paper last year. Articles by BIRAX grantees have also been published in Nature, Cell Biology, Frontiers in Immunology, Cancer Stem Cells and International Innovation.The Programme is the only platform for bilateral cooperation between Israel and UK researchers in the field of regenerative medicine and stem cell research. Over 30 labs are involved in the projects, and hundreds of scientists are working on the Programme’s project. Over 1000 scientists took part in the bi-annual BIRAX conferences, with the recent conference which took place at the University of Oxford, this April being the largest.

Israel: Medicine

Baroness Deech: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the importance of the particular focus on Alzheimer’s and Type 1 Diabetes in the third Britain Israel Research and Academic Exchange Partnership Research Call.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The focus of the Britain Israel Research and Academic Exchange Partnership (BIRAX) Initiative is regenerative medicine, which can be applied to many fields of medical research. In addition to the regenerative medicine focus, the Initiative has supported more specific research areas, including Type 1 diabetes and neurodegenerative conditions. These areas have been identified as critical in both Israel and the UK, as well as globally, and as ones in which both countries have particular research expertise. The British Council works with leading research charities in the UK and globally, including British Heart Foundation, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Multiple Sclerosis Society and Parkinson UK to provide mutual funding, and these areas have been highlighted as areas of joint interest. However it is important to note that it is the quality of the science that drives the BIRAX selection process, and that applications which do not come under these priorities but do meet the criteria have also been selected for funding in past calls. The third call for proposals will continue to evaluate proposals according to criteria outlined in the call’s guidelines and their scientific excellence. The focus on Alzheimer's and Type 1 Diabetes has the potential to bring upwards of £1.6 million additional funding (to add to the £7 million existing funding raised by the Initiative) to collaborative projects, of which at least 50 per cent is for use in UK universities.

Abdullah Habib

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they are making to the government of Oman following the arrest and detention on 15 April of Mr Abdullah Habib.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We are aware of Abdullah Habib’s case and have raised concerns about freedom of expression, assembly and association with the Omani government, including at Oman’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) in November last year. As a result of its previous UPR, Oman welcomed the UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights to Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and of Association to visit Oman, the first Middle Eastern country to do so.

Israel: Palestinians

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, in the light of the remarks by the Foreign Secretary in 2010 that the window of opportunity for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict would have closed by 2016, they have plans to announce the end of the possibility of such a solution.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We believe a negotiated two-state solution remains the only way to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict once and for all. We continue to press both sides strongly on the need to refrain from taking action which make peace more difficult. We believe that if both parties show the bold leadership and political strength necessary to find a way forward, a two-state solution remains possible.

Israel: Palestinians

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they plan to take in response to Israel’s Jerusalem Municipality plan to demolish Palestinian homes to make way for a tourist complex in the Silwan neighbourhood of East Jerusalem.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We have not raised the specific issue of demolition of Palestinian homes to make way for the Kedem Compound. We are not aware of any impending home demolitions to make way for the site.

Israel: Palestinians

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many journalists have been imprisoned in the occupied Palestinian territories since October 2015 and what representations they have made to the government of Israel.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: As of the beginning of March 2016, we were aware of four Palestinian journalists from the West Bank arrested since October 2015. We are also aware of a Gazan journalist who was detained for seven hours at Erez crossing. We are clear that journalists should have the necessary protection to do their jobs in safety, and strongly believe freedom of the media is an important human rights principle.

West Bank: Housing

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Mr Tobias Ellwood, on 18 January (HC21629), what action they propose to take to prevent the forcible transfer of Bedouin in the West Bank by Israel.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We continue to raise our concerns with the Israeli authorities over demolitions and the treatment of the Bedouin community. We have supported Bedouin communities in Area C facing demolition or eviction through support to Rabbis for Human Rights and the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) legal aid programme. This helps individuals challenge decisions in the Israeli legal system. The NRC has successfully suspended demolitions and evictions so that Palestinians can remain in their homes in 99 per cent of the cases they represent.

Libya: Islamic State

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking to combat Daesh in Libya.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We are extremely concerned about the rise of Daesh in Libya. We are engaging with the new Libyan government and working closely with international partners to develop a comprehensive approach to defeat Daesh in Libya. Initial planning has focused on building the capabilities of Libyan security forces.

Islamic State: Yazidis

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have assessed the evidence that ISIS have sold Yazidi women to Saudi Arabians, and what representations they have made to the government of Saudi Arabia about recovering them.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We maintain a close dialogue with Saudi Arabia on Counter Terrorism issues. We have seen no evidence of Saudi Foreign Terrorist Fighters trafficking Daesh sex slaves to Saudi Arabia.

Egypt: Shipping

Lord Patten: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the impact on British shipping of the decision by the President of Egypt to give control of the expansion of the Suez Canal to the Egyptian armed forces.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We are not aware of any impact on British shipping in relation to the Egyptian armed forces’ involvement with the Suez Canal. The New Suez Canal Project, completed in August 2015, has shortened the transit time and has increased the number of ships which the Canal can handle on a daily basis. The Egyptian armed forces continue to provide security for the Canal and support the activity of the Suez Canal Authority as they did before the expansion of the Canal.

Malawi: Administration of Justice

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Malawi regarding bringing the perpetrators of albinism-related crimes to justice.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: On 27 April our High Commissioner to Malawi raised the increase in human rights violations against persons with albinism at a meeting with the Malawian Foreign Minister. President Mutharika has condemned the attacks and ordered increased effort to bring the perpetrators to justice.

Syria: Armed Conflict

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the attacks on 26 April on the Christian neighbourhood of Sulaymaniyah in Aleppo, and of reports that at least eight children were among those killed.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We are aware of reports of attacks on the Sulaymaniyah neighbourhood in Aleppo, and of reports that at least eight children were among those killed. We are deeply concerned about the increasing numbers of violations of the Cessation of Hostilities, especially around Aleppo. In the overwhelming majority of cases, it is the Asad regime that is responsible for the breaches, including when it has bombed schools, marketplaces, hospitals and a search and rescue centre in the last week. As the Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), said in a press statement on 28 April, we call on those with influence to apply real pressure to end this spiral of violence. The UK will continue to support the Syrian people to secure their future, free from Asad, and push for progress with our international partners.

Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

Local Enterprise Partnerships: Cost Effectiveness

Baroness Randerson: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to act on the concerns raised by the National Audit Office in its 23 March report regarding the lack of transparency in spending by Local Enterprise Partnerships in order to ensure taxpayers get value for money.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: The Government welcomes the findings in the report and the helpful scrutiny of our approach. Section 151 officers from the accountable local authorities for each of the 39 Local Enterprise Partnerships have already written to the Department for Communities and Local Government confirming that their assurance frameworks adhere to our national standards, including on transparency. Government will continue to work with Local Enterprise Partnerships to ensure this system remains robust.

Universities: Antisemitism

Lord Patten: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of anti-semitism within bodies representing students in English universities.

Baroness Evans of Bowes Park: The Government is clear that there is absolutely no place in higher education or anywhere else in society for bigotry, hatred or any form of racism such as anti-Semitism.Recent reports of anti-Semitism are extremely concerning and must be met with a decisive response. We expect all bodies with a role in English higher education to be absolutely clear in their opposition to racism in all its forms, and to have robust policies in place to tackle such hatred and support victims.At the Government’s request, Universities UK has set up a taskforce to examine what more can be done to tackle harassment and hate crime on campus, including anti-Semitism.

Department for Education

Home Education: National Curriculum Tests

Lord Storey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are the legal requirements for home-educated pupils to sit SATs.

Lord Nash: Legislation which requires the administration of the tests at the end of key stages 1 and 2 only applies to state-funded schools. Independent schools and home-educated pupils can choose to participate in the national curriculum tests if they wish. Home-educated pupils can only do so by registering with a maintained school, academy or other independent school that is participating in the tests. Parents are entitled to educate their children at home; when they do so they opt out of state education. The education provided must comply with the duty in section 7 of the Education Act 1996 to cause the child to receive efficient full-time education suitable to the child’s age, ability and aptitude, and to any special educational needs the child may have.

Ministry of Defence

Type 26 Frigates

Lord Campbell of Pittenweem: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress they have made in the development of the Royal Navy's next generation Type 26 Global Combat Ship.

Earl Howe: I refer the noble Lord to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Minister of State for Defence Procurement (Mr Dunne), in the House of Commons on 11 April 2016 to Question 32497.



Type 26 Frigates
(Word Document, 14.69 KB)

Armed Forces

Lord Campbell of Pittenweem: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the establishment of (1) the Royal Navy, (2) the Army, and (3) the Royal Air Force, and how many vacancies there are in each service.

Earl Howe: The requested information, as at 1 March 2016, is provided below: ServiceLiability (establishment)Full-time trained strengthDeficit (vacancies)Royal Navy/Royal Marines30,22029,730480Army83,58079,8403,740Royal Air Force33,15031,0002,150 Note: All figures are rounded. Totals and sub-totals are rounded separately and may not equal the sums of their rounded parts. Full details of liabilities and trained strengths are included in the UK Armed Forces Monthly Service Personnel Statistics, which can be found at the following address: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/uk-armed-forces-monthly-service-personnel-statistics-2016

Armed Forces: Young People

Lord Moonie: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the effects on (1) the individual, and (2) the armed forces, of the enlistment of persons under the age of 18.

Earl Howe: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) operates in a competitive employment market and will continue to recruit from the widest available talent pool, including from the age of 16 in order to sustain the required manning levels for the UK Armed Forces. Young people bring fresh ideas, knowledge and talent to the Armed Forces. MOD policy dictates that no one under the age of 18 can join the Armed Forces without specific parental consent, both for the recruiting process to begin and again prior to joining; nor can they be deployed on front line operations. All recruits aged under 18 benefit from key skills education in literacy and numeracy, should they need it, and all are enrolled onto apprenticeships. The Armed Forces remain the UK's largest apprenticeship provider, equipping young people with valuable and transferable skills for life. Ofsted regularly inspects our care of newly joined young recruits, and we are very proud of the standards we achieve. The provision of education and training for 16 year-old school leavers provides a route into the Armed Forces that complies with Government education policy and offers a significant foundation for emotional, physical and educational development throughout an individual's career.

Department for Work and Pensions

Maternity Allowance: Pensioners

Lord Moonie: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many applicants for Maternity Allowance last year were also in receipt of a state pension.

Baroness Altmann: The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

Home Office

Passports

Lord Jopling: To ask Her Majesty’s Government why people leaving the UK have their passports examined and recorded at some airports, whilst at others no examination takes place.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Border Force does not operate a uniform passport control regime against passengers departing the UK in the same way that it does for passengers who arrive in the UK. However, it does undertake targeted passport checks against selected cohorts of passengers leaving the UK for a range of law enforcement purposes.We check the passports of all those passing through passport control on entry to the UK and we also conduct exit checks.

Traffic Officers: South East

Baroness Smith of Basildon: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many dedicated road traffic officers there were in each of the past five years in (1) Essex, (2) Kent, (3) Sussex, and (4) London.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The number of full time equivalent police officers employed in traffic policing roles as at 31 March in each of the last 5 years is provided in the tables. Officers with multiple responsibilities are recorded under their primary function or role. Data for 31 March 2015 (the latest period for which figures are available) can also be found in the supplementary tables of the July 2015 police workforce statistics publication:https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/444537/police-workforce-supptabs-mar15.odsAs HM Inspectorate of Constabulary has made clear, there is no simple link between police numbers and crime levels, between numbers and the visibility of police in the community, or between numbers and the quality of service provided.Decisions on the size and composition of the police workforce are operational matters for Chief Officers working with their Police and Crime Commissioners and taking into account local priorities. What matters is how officers are deployed, not how many of them there are.



Tables referred to in web-link
(Excel SpreadSheet, 92.47 KB)

Asylum: Children

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government why less than 30 of the 157 children at Calais and identified as eligible for family re-union have so far been admitted to the UK; and what plans they have to improve the processes for re-union.

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of Amnesty International's report Trapped in Greece: an avoidable refugee Crisis of April 2016, in particular concerning the EU and the Dublin III Regulations on Family Reunion.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: There is no official estimate of the number of children in Calais; this is primarily a matter for the French authorities. It is only possible to assess whether an individual has links to the UK that could enable a transfer on family unity grounds once they make an application for asylum in France.Once an asylum claim is lodged in another Member State, the Dublin Regulation procedure requesting the UK to take charge of a child on family unity grounds can take place very quickly, often in a matter of weeks, subject to consideration of the evidence in each individual case.Since February 2016 the UK has accepted 30 requests from France under the Dublin Regulation to take charge of asylum seeking children on family grounds of which 23 have already been transferred to the UK. We are working closely with the French Government and NGOs, including on a joint communications campaign to inform migrants of their options and we provided a senior UK asylum official to the French Government who has put processes in place to support an efficient procedure.

Refugees

Lord Ouseley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they are liaising with local public service providers to ensure that all incoming refugees as part of the refugee resettlement policy are appropriately assisted within local community cohesion programmes.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Government and the Local Government Association continue to work closely with individual local authorities who are volunteering to take refugees.Local authorities are required to provide refugees they resettle with a 12 month support package tailored to their individual needs which includes; accommodation, casework support and integration assistance, medical and social care needs and English language tuition. The first 12 months of a refugee’s resettlement costs will be funded by central government from the Overseas Development Aid budget.

Visas: Overseas Students

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Immigration Minister, James Brokenshire, on 14 March (HC29894), and in the light of the figures released by the Home Office on the number of non-EU students who had their visas curtailed in the three years to the end of December 2015 as part of their strategy to clamp down on immigration abuse, how many educational institutions were affected, and whether any of those educational institutions remain open to British and EU students.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: It is not possible to run a report linking each curtailment decision to a specific educational institution. To provide the information requested would require a manual check of every curtailment in the cohort referenced which would incur a disproportionate cost.The Immigration Rules allow for leave of an individual to be curtailed for a variety of reasons, not only as a result of an institution losing its sponsor licence but also, for example, is a student drops out of their course of study and is reported to the Home Office by the sponsor. Sponsors have a number of reporting duties in respect of their students, and these can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sponsor-a-tier-4-student-guidance-for-educatorsThe Home Office does not close down educational institutions. The revocation of a Tier 4 sponsor licence means that an educational institution can no longer recruit non-EEA students under the Points Based System. The institution may, however, continue to operate and teach UK and EEA students. The Home Office does not routinely monitor educational institutions who do not hold a sponsor licence.



Tier 4 Compliance
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Sponsorship Duties
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Applying for a Tier 4 Licence 
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USA: Official Visits

Lord Rowe-Beddoe: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their estimate of costs incurred by them in connection with the recent visit of the President of the United States.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: It is long established Government policy not to comment upon matters of personal protective security and their associated costs. Disclosure of such information could compromise the integrity of those arrangements and affect the security of the individuals concerned.

Police: Recruitment

Baroness Henig: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many candidates have applied for admission to the Direct Entry Superintendent programme since its inception, and of those, how many were successful.

Baroness Henig: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many of the successful candidates admitted to the Direct Entry Superintendent programme were still in post as of 1 April.

Baroness Henig: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many candidates have applied for admission to the Direct Entry Inspector programme since its inception, and of those, how many were successful.

Baroness Henig: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many of the successful candidates admitted to the Direct Entry Inspector programme were still in post as of 1 April.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The direct entry to superintendent scheme has been running since 2014; over the three years of its operation it has had a total of 2,049 applications.The first direct entry scheme to inspector launched this year. There were 1,647 ap-plications and the selection process is ongoing. The first cohort are expected to start in November.Details of success and retention for the direct entry to superintendent scheme are outlined in the table below.YearApplicationsSuccessful at the assessment centreStarted the schemeIn post at 1 April 20162014867139820155427662016640---Assessment centres for the 2016 inspectors’ and superintendents’ schemes will take place this summer.

Religious Hatred

Baroness Berridge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 21 April (HL Deb, col 762–4) on religiously motivated crime, whether they will provide details of which community groups the Home Secretary is engaging with in the "community round tables", and how many times each of those round tables have met in the past year.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: In his speech on countering extremism in July 2015, the Prime Minister said that he wanted to hear directly from those in our society who are challenging extremism. The Community Engagement Forum is one of the ways we are doing this. The Forums provide a platform for a wide range of partners to share their experiences and learn from each other. Attendance at the Forums is fluid to ensure Ministers can hear from a wide range of partners from a variety of backgrounds.To date, the Community Engagement Forum has met on 13 October 2015, 19 November 2015 and 14 January 2016. A list of those that have attended is available in response to written parliamentary questions HL6419 and HC20784. Further community forums are planned for later this year. In addition, I myself have chaired round tables with different faith communities and leaders.

Internet: Radicalism

Baroness Berridge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, following the murder of Asad Shah in Glasgow, what action they are taking to restrict access to websites that espouse extremism in Pakistan.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The tragic murder of Asad Shah demonstrated the powerful influence of extremist online content. In the UK, the Metropolitan Police’s Counter Terrorism Internet Referral Unit (CTIRU) is responsible for the referral of terrorist-related content to online communication service providers (CSPs) for removal. Upon receipt of a referral, CSPs remove material on a voluntary basis where it breaches their terms and conditions.Referrals made to CSPs by CTIRU have led to over 160,000 pieces of terrorist-related content being removed to date world-wide, including websites, user accounts and videos. Overall, removals at the request of CTIRU have increased from around 60 items a month in 2010, when CTIRU was first established, to over 4,000 a month in 2016.

British Nationality

Baroness Buscombe: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 22 April (HL7592), notwithstanding the British Nationality Act 1981, on what basis they are continuing to grant British citizenship to EU migrants who already possess citizenship of another EU member state.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: British Nationality legislation is set out in the British Nationality Act 1981, and so decisions to grant or refuse citizenship must be made in accordance with that legislation. The 1981 Act does not differentiate between nationals of EU and non-EU countries: citizenship is granted where a person fulfils the statutory requirements.

Asylum: Eritrea

Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what proportion of Eritreans who challenged an initial asylum refusal won their appeal in (1) 2013, (2) 2014, and (3) 2015.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Figures on asylum appeal determinations by country of nationality are published quarterly by the Home Office in the Immigration Statistics release. The following table gives the proportion of determined asylum appeals from Eritrean nationals that were allowed in each year, from 2013 to 2015.Proportion of determined asylum appeals from Eritrean nationals that were allowed, 2013 to 2015YearAppeals determined for Eritrean nationalsAppeals allowed for Eritrean nationalsProportion of appeals that were allowed for Eritrean nationals2013762736%20141145044%201556245280%Table notes:(1) Source: table as_14, Immigration Statistics October to December 2015, Home Office(2) HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) (formerly the Tribunals Service Immigration and Asylum (TSIA)), consists of the First-tier Tribunal and Upper Tribunal of the Immigration and Asylum Chamber (FTTIAC and UTIAC). This replaced the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal (AIT) on 15 February 2010. All figures for appeals determined are cases dealt with by Immigration Judges at the AIT or FTTIAC.(3) Figures exclude dependants.(4) The appeals allowed figures may include a small number of cases where the asylum application was granted at initial decision, but later appealed against. This may be due to the circumstances of the grant (i.e. discretionary leave/UASC leave rather than asylum).(5) Data for 2015 are provisional and subject to update.A copy of the latest release, Immigration Statistics, October to December 2015, is available from: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/immigration-statistics-october-to-december-2015

Asylum: Eritrea

Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what proportion of overall asylum appeals were lodged by Eritrean nationals or refugees in (1) 2013, (2) 2014, and (3) 2015.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Figures on asylum appeals by nationality are published quarterly by the Home Office in the Immigration Statistics release. The following table gives the proportion of total asylum appeals that were lodged by Eritrean nationals, for 2013 to 2015.Proportion of total asylum appeals received that were lodged by Eritrean nationals, 2013-2015YearTotal appeals receivedAppeals received from Eritrean nationalsProportion of total appeals from Eritrean nationals20138,519881%20148,2411722%201514,041171812%Table notes:(1) Source: table as_14, Immigration Statistics October to December 2015, Home Office(2) Figures exclude dependants(3) Figures for 2015 are provisional and subject to updateA copy of the latest release, Immigration Statistics, October to December 2015, is available from: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/home-office/series/immigration-statistics-quarterly-release.

HM Treasury

Financial Services: Regulation

Lord Luce: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what criteria govern the regulation of financial services in Crown Dependencies and British Overseas Territories.

Lord O'Neill of Gatley: The regulation of financial services are domestic responsibilities of the governments of the Crown Dependencies and the Overseas Territories. In line with its status Gibraltar complies with applicable EU law. The Crown Dependencies and other British Overseas Territories are encouraged by the UK to meet internationally agreed standards.

Financial Services: Regulation

Lord Luce: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of which Crown Dependencies and British Overseas Territories, if any, fall short of the required standards for the regulation of their financial services.

Lord O'Neill of Gatley: The regulation of financial services are domestic responsibilities of the governments of the Crown Dependencies and the Overseas Territories. The Crown Dependencies and other British Overseas Territories are encouraged by the UK to meet internationally agreed standards and assessed according to the relevant international practice.

Financial Services: Regulation

Lord Luce: To ask Her Majesty’s Government in what way the criteria for the regulation of financial services vary between the UK and British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies.

Lord O'Neill of Gatley: The regulation of financial services are domestic responsibilities of the governments of the Crown Dependencies and the Overseas Territories. As part of the EU internal market for financial services, the UK Government and Government of Gibraltar regulate financial services in line with their own domestic and EU law. Other British Overseas Territories and the Crown Dependencies’ governments regulate financial services in line with their own domestic law, and are encouraged by the UK to meet internationally agreed standards.

London Stock Exchange

Lord Myners: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of whether there would be any disadvantages of the London Stock Exchange being headquartered outside the UK.

Lord Myners: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they will take to ensure that the liquidity ladder is not used to advantage counterparties of Euronext to the disadvantage of those of LCH Clearnet.

Lord Myners: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what estimate they have made of the extent of the reduction in the capital-to-risk ratio in central clearing consequent upon the takeover of the London Stock Exchange by Deutsche Bourse, and whether they propose to reduce the extent of credit offsets between the two central clearing parties.

Lord Myners: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the new unnamed holding company to be created by the takeover of the London Stock Exchange by Deutsche Bourse will be regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

Lord O'Neill of Gatley: I refer the noble Lord to my written answers of 26 April (HL7583, HL7584, HL7585, and HL7586)

Department for Energy and Climate Change

Electric Cables: Lake District National Park

Lord Clark of Windermere: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with National Grid in relation to the erection of pylons to carry power through the Lake District National Park from the proposed nuclear generation station adjacent to Sellafield.

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: Government holds regular discussions with National Grid across a range of energy matters. Some of these include factual updates from National Grid on its proposed major electricity transmission projects. When this occurs, Ministers and officials do not provide any views to National Grid due to the role DECC Ministers would play in the determination of any development consent applications.

Northern Ireland Office

Chief Electoral Officer for Northern Ireland

Lord Empey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure the effective operation of the electoral office of Northern Ireland following the decision by the Northern Ireland Public Service Alliance to ballot its members in the electoral office on strike action following the decision to close six electoral branch offices.

Lord Dunlop: The delivery of elections is an operational matter for the Chief Electoral Officer. It is disappointing that the Northern Ireland Public Service Alliance has decided to ballot its members in Area Electoral Offices for industrial action. While two Area Electoral Offices are due to close in October with staff relocating to other offices, no decision has been taken on others. This action is hard to justify in advance of final decisions on wider reform which will only be taken following consideration of responses to a consultation later in the year.

Department of Health

Medical Records: Data Protection

Lord Freyberg: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Prior of Brampton on 17 March (HL7133) concerning the protection of personal health and social care data, what was the date on which the stakeholders committed to the delivery of the future state, without the need for interim Accredited Safe Havens.

Lord Prior of Brampton: The Data Services for Commissioners Programme Board, which is the oversight mechanism with responsibility for the delivery of the future state, and comprises representatives from the stakeholder groups committed to its delivery, met for the first time on 9 December 2014. The delivery of the programme is ongoing and on track to deliver increasing levels of functionality from 2017 onwards.

Patients: Transport

Lord Bassam of Brighton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of Coperforma’s management of patient transport in Sussex.

Lord Bassam of Brighton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government which other companies bid to become the main service provider of patient transport in Sussex, and why the decision was made to award the contract to Coperforma over other competitors.

Lord Prior of Brampton: We are advised by NHS England that four organisations including Coperforma completed the Pre-Qualifying Questionnaire (PQQ) in order to submit their bid for the contract and of these the South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust, Arriva Transport Solutions Ltd and Coperforma Ltd were assessed as passing the PQQ. An Invitation to Tender was issued to all three organisations on 3 August 2015. NHS England advises that Coperforma’s bid was evaluated in line with criteria published at the start of the process by a group of subject matter experts, clinicians and patient representatives and the bid was assessed as demonstrating a comprehensive response. The award of the contract to Coperforma was approved by all seven Sussex Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs). We understand that the lead commissioner, High Weald Lewes Havens CCG, awarded Coperforma the non-emergency Patient Transport Service (PTS) contract for Sussex, which commenced on 1 April 2016. The CCG acknowledges that early performance of the new non-emergency Sussex PTS has not been acceptable. For this reason High Weald Lewes Havens CCG, on behalf of all seven Sussex CCGs, has begun an inquiry with an aim for a report to be available for review by June 2016 with interim progress reports.

Maternity Services

Lord Birt: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to match national and local capacity with demand for maternity services, and when they expect a balance to be achieved.

Lord Prior of Brampton: Maternity services are included in the key objectives set out in the Mandate between the Government and the NHS England. The Mandate states that women should receive better care during pregnancy and have a named midwife responsible for ensuring personalised, one-to-one care. In its report Better Births: Improving Outcomes of maternity services in England, the National Maternity Review (which was sponsored by NHS England) set out a vision for future models of maternity services which provide safe, personalised, kind, professional and family friendly care. It recommends that providers and commissioners should come together as “local maternity systems” and develop a local vision for improved maternity services based on the principles contained within the report. A copy of Better Births is attached. Clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) will now be expected to consider the conclusions of Better Births and what changes they may need to make to local services in light of those conclusions. CCGs are expected to understand local demand for maternity services, including listening to what women in their communities want, and consider their health needs in designing services. This should also be reflected in the development of five year Sustainability and Transformation Plans which cover wider geographical ‘footprints’.



Better Births: National Maternity Review
(PDF Document, 3.61 MB)

Strokes

Baroness Hodgson of Abinger: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of the National Stroke Strategy and whether the strategy has achieved its aims.

Baroness Hodgson of Abinger: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to ensure that thrombectomy is delivered to all eligible stroke patients in accordance with new NICE guidelines.

Lord Prior of Brampton: No formal assessment has been made of the effectiveness of the National Stroke Strategy or of whether it has achieved its aims. However, we know that good progress has been made on stroke in recent years, with mortality rates decreasing. Part of this progress is undoubtedly due to improvements in the treatment of stroke, where we have made great strides in several areas. The most recent data from the Sentinel Stroke National Audit Project shows that: - Over 48% of patients receive brain scanning within one hour of hospital arrival and over 90% within 12 hours; - 84% of stroke patients spend more than 90% of their time in hospital on a stroke unit; - Clot busting drugs give a certain cohort of stroke patients a better chance of regaining their independence. 11% of stroke patients admitted to hospital receive these drugs; and - Over 78% of patients are assessed by a specialist stroke physician within 24 hours of admission, showing that stroke services have made good progress in delivering 7 day specialist medical services. However we know there is more to do and increases in levels of obesity and an ageing population lead to new pressures. That is why a Cardiovascular (CVD) Disease Outcomes Strategy was published in 2013. It sets out key actions for commissioners and providers to help further improve outcomes in Coronary Heart Disease, stroke and other cardiovascular diseases. NHS England hosts a CVD outcomes collaborative which brings together the relevant National Clinical Directors, the main relevant national charities, the National CVD Intelligence Network, Public Health England and the Department of Health. This collaborative continues to coordinate delivery of the work which was initiated in the CVD Outcomes Strategy. In February this year, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence published interventional procedure guidance on mechanical clot retrieval (thrombectomy) for treating acute ischaemic stroke. The guidance sets out that current evidence on the safety and efficacy of this procedure is adequate to support its use, provided that standard arrangements are in place for clinical governance, consent and audit. This guidance does not oblige commissioners to commission thrombectomy nor hospitals to provide it. NHS England is now undertaking work to inform a decision on whether this is a procedure that should be made more widely available.

Strokes: Children

Baroness Hodgson of Abinger: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many children experienced a stroke in England in the past year.

Lord Prior of Brampton: Information on the number of children who experienced a stroke is not collected centrally. Information is collected on the number of finished admissions of young people with a primary diagnosis of stoke or mini stroke. This is given in the following table.  Finished Admission Episodes (FAEs) with a primary diagnosis of 'stroke' and 'mini stroke' for under 18's by age groups at England level for 2014-15 Stroke (FAEs)AgeI60.- Subarachnoid haemorrhageI61.- Intracerebral haemorrhageI62.- Other non-traumatic intracranial haemorrhageI63.- Cerebral infarctionI64.X Stroke, not specified as haemorrhage or infarctionUnder 1216632831 - 4217256145 - 98161031210 - 14113520272153119701641438017123270Mini-strokeAgeG45.8 Other transient cerebral ischaemic attacks and related syndromesG45.9 Transient cerebral ischaemic attack, unspecifiedUnder 1001-4035-911410-14011150016011703 Notes: An FAE is the first period of admitted patient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider. FAEs are counted against the year or month in which the admission episode finishes. Admissions do not represent the number of patients, as a person may have more than one admission within the period.

Liverpool Community Health NHS Trust

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will establish a public inquiry into care failings in the Liverpool Community NHS Trust in the light of findings that executive directors of the trust downgraded serious risks or incidents and kept information from non-executive board members.

Lord Prior of Brampton: We are assured by NHS Improvement that it continues to work closely with the Trust following the support provided by the NHS Trust Development Authority (NTDA). Following the Care Quality Commission’s report of 2014, the NTDA took immediate steps to improve the skill set within the executive team, commissioned a board capability review and provided clinical and quality support in developing and delivering a quality improvement plan. As further issues came to light, the non-executive and the executive teams at the time of the failings were replaced. A recent independent review made clear that the drive of the board to achieve foundation trust (FT) status was a dominant factor which contributed towards the failures of the trust. The report suggests that the board was managed in the way it was to ensure the FT application remained on track and that this led to downplaying of risks. A copy of this review, Quality, safety and management assurance review at Liverpool Community Health NHS Trust, is attached. The Trust withdrew its application for FT status in January 2015. It is now actively working towards a transaction that is likely to see the trust's services being delivered by alternative providers In addition to a new leadership team in place, a number of other measures are being progressed. There is an ongoing improvement plan, the continued support of NHS Improvement, implementation of the independent review’s recommendations and a well-advanced transaction proposal that is likely to lead to the eventual disestablishment of the Trust. However we will consider the possibility of a further review with the leadership of NHS Improvement.NHS Improvement is currently developing a new approach to authorising FTs. It will allow National Health Service trusts to demonstrate they meet the standards expected of FT status without the process becoming a serious distraction for them.



Liverpool Community Health Trust Report
(PDF Document, 4.44 MB)

General Dental Council

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the open letter from the British Dental Association to the Chairman of the General Dental Council (GDC) of 1 April on the GDC's spending on external legal advice, redundancy payments and related external PR services during the Professional Services Authority whistle-blowing inquiry, and what action they intend to take in the light of that assessment.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the General Dental Council’s (GDC) response to the British Dental Association’s Freedom of Information request of 18 March, whether they will ask the National Audit Office to carry out a value-for-money examination of GDC’s financial management.

Lord Prior of Brampton: The General Dental Council (GDC) is an independent statutory body. Ministers take a keen interest in the performance of the GDC and its plans for improvement, particularly in light of the Professional Standards Authority’s (PSA) performance review and publication of its investigation into concerns raised by a whistleblower. A copy of the PSA’s report, A report on the investigation into the General Dental Council’s handling of a whistleblower’s disclosure about the Investigating Committee, is attached. The GDC is required under the Dentist Act 1984 to prepare a statement of accounts and for those accounts to be audited. These accounts would cover all expenditure including that during the PSA investigation. The statement of accounts and auditor’s report are then published and properly scrutinised, including being certified and reported on by the Controller and Auditor General and being laid before Parliament and the Scottish Parliament by the Privy Council. The Department has no plans to ask the National Audit Office to carry out a value for money examination of the GDC’s financial management.



General Dental Council PSA report
(PDF Document, 2.17 MB)

Diabetes

Lord Morris of Aberavon: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what funding increases they have proposed for type 1 diabetes in 2016–17 and in subsequent years.

Lord Prior of Brampton: Clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) commission services for people with type 1 diabetes and we would expect them to prioritise their funding in accordance with local needs and within the overall resources available. The effective treatment and care of diabetes is one of the clinical priority areas highlighted in the CCG Improvement and Assessment Framework recently published by NHS England.

Action on Smoking and Health

Lord Naseby: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have received an application for grant funding from Action on Smoking and Health for 2016–17, and if so, whether they will place a copy in the Library of the House.

Lord Naseby: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much of the grant awarded to Action on Smoking and Health in 2015–16 was unspent at the end of that financial year.

Lord Naseby: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, for any grant awarded to Action on Smoking and Health in each of the last five years, how much was awarded in one financial year and spent in a subsequent one.

Lord Prior of Brampton: The Department has received an application for grant funding from Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) for the 2016-17 financial year. The application process is iterative to ensure the final objectives are in line with Departmental aims and the application that the Department currently holds is a draft application. Draft applications for grant funding are not published. There was no underspend of the grant awarded to ASH in 2015-16 and, in each of the last five years, the funding has been spent in the relevant financial year.

Ambulance Services: Employment Agencies

Lord Colwyn: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, in the light of the reported rise in expenditure by NHS Ambulance Trusts, they intend to extend agency spending caps to private ambulance services.

Lord Prior of Brampton: The Government has already taken decisive action to support the National Health Service to be the most efficient health system in the world. That is why a series of tough financial controls were introduced last year to help the NHS tackle some of the extortionate rates charged and overspending on agency staff. In November 2015, hourly price caps were introduced limiting the amount the NHS can pay to an agency for temporary staff. These were reduced gradually over a number of months and will apply to all ambulance trusts and ambulance foundation trusts from 1 July 2016.

Department of Health: Lobbying

Lord Naseby: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what definition of "lobbying" is used by the Department of Health in its grant application process.

Lord Prior of Brampton: The Department does not provide definitions of specific words used in the grant application processes, used by Voluntary Sector organisation. The Department policy clearly states that grants will not be awarded if there is any indication within the application that some or all of any funding awarded will be used to support political activities.Grants Hub issued award letters have a standard term in the award letter which reinforces that no aspect of the activity being funded by the Department should be party political in intention, use or presentation.

Department of Health: Lobbying

Lord Naseby: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Prior of Brampton on 24 February (HL6112), what processes the Department of Health has reviewed in the light of the guidance issued by the Cabinet Office on 6 February; what changes they have made, including in respect of individual contracts; and what are the details of each contract subject to such changes.

Lord Prior of Brampton: The Department’s current policy already clearly states that grants will not be awarded if there is any indication within the application that some or all of any funding awarded will be used to support political activities. This condition is reinforced by a standard terms within the Grant Award letter.In light of the draft implementation guidance issued by Cabinet Office on 6 February, the Department has engaged with relevant internal and external stakeholders to prepare for the mandatory implementation of the Cabinet Office guidance from 1 May 2016.As announced on 27 April the introduction of the clause has been paused, pending a review of the representations made, and to give further time to consider any necessary adjustments to the wording of the clause, or the policy on its implementation. The Cabinet Office are continuing to consider the comments of all interested parties, ahead of the introduction into grant agreements of the clause aimed at protecting taxpayers' money from being wasted on government lobbying government.The draft implementation guidance has been withdrawn, along with the go-live date of 1 May 2016. Further details will be announced in due course, including a revised implementation date and the Department will be working towards the revised timetable once it is received.